This dish can be made in a small frying pan with a lid, using large lettuce leaves that are blanched in boiling water then used to line the pan fanning out and folded over, with a couple of leaves forming a top and base to the parcel. I had a load of mini lettuce hearts left over from putting coronation chicken in the larger leaves, so I used them whole.
Petits pois a la Francaise
1 onion, finely sliced
14 lettuce hearts (or see intro)
Peas (If fresh add 1 tsp of sugar. Omit if frozen.)
25g butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 glass dry white wine
1/2 glass water
2 tbsp finely chopped mint
Salt and pepper
In a large ovenproof pan with a lid, melt the butter in the olive oil then soften the onion without colouring. Season with salt early on to help draw out the moisture.
Add the lettuce and saute gently until it has picked up a little colour. Add the peas, allow them to defrost if frozen, season with pepper, add 1 tbsp of the mint and stir around.
Add the wine and allow to reduce until syrupy. Add the glass of water, bring to a simmer on the hob then cover and place in a low oven (say 160C) for 25 minutes.
Remove from the oven and place back on the hob to drive off any unwanted moisture if you need to. Add the remaining 1 tbsp of mint at this point, stir and serve.
Lovely with some seared scallops and bacon pieces. You could sear the scallops in a little bit of the fat rendered from the bacon.
